


Dreamers

by Steiner_99



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dreams, Dreamsharing, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Love, M/M, Mystery, Post-War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 21:00:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18859036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steiner_99/pseuds/Steiner_99
Summary: Harry is happy to return to Hogwarts, and everything seems great until Harry starts having strange, romantic dreams about Draco Malfoy. As the dreams progress and become more and more intimate, Harry begins to lose sense of what is real and what is not.





	Dreamers

Harry’s eyes squinted against the bright September sun. He turned his head an inch and felt the warm wind caress his face and sweep back his unruly hair. The sun seemed to warm him up from the inside, settling into every bone in his body, making him feel completely and utterly relaxed.  
Somewhere next to him, Ron let out a small sigh of content. 

“Merlin, how I missed this,” Ron mumbled lazily. There was a rustling sound and snap of a few twitches, which could only mean that Ron had stretched out to lie flat on the ground. Harry smiled and lay back on the ground too. Grass tickled his ear and he could hear a bee buzzing somewhere above him. 

“Yeah, I know,” he breathed, smiling into the beaming sun. 

For a while, the two of them just lay there in silence, soaking up the sun, listening to the sound of birds and insects. Harry had only just started to drift off into sleep, when suddenly a shadow fell across his face. He opened his eyes and blinked up at Hermione. 

“Is this really how you’re going to spend your first day back at Hogwarts?” Hermione asked reproachfully. “Sleeping?” 

Harry shielded his eyes from the sun with his hands and grinned up at her. 

“Well, maybe not _all_ of it.” 

Slowly, he moved into a sitting position along with Ron. “Did you find McGonagall?” 

Hermione sat down on the grass beside them, opened her bag and pulled out a piece of parchment. 

“Yes, and she told me something very interesting about our sleeping arrangements,” Hermione began in a brisk manner. “Obviously, there’s no room for the eight-years in the other houses, so we’re going to have to stay in the teacher’s living quarters instead.” 

“But…” Ron said, frowning, leaves sticking out from his hair. ”Where are the teachers supposed to stay, then? Won’t they be needing their own space?” 

Hermione folded out the parchment which appeared to be a large map of Hogwarts, not unlike The Marauder’s Map, but without the names of teachers and students. She pointed at a large area next to the Kitchens and Harry and Ron both leaned forward to get a better look. 

“This part of Hogwarts used to be available to guests staying for periods at times, you know, such as the Wizarding Examinations Authorities, relatives of the teachers and such. Apparently, is quite big. Big enough for the staff at least.” She moved her finger to point at the large area close to the Great Hall which used to be the teachers’ residents. “The teachers’ living quarters have been rearranged to house up to ten students. All that’s left to do is to divide us into the different dormitories.”

Ron’s head snapped up from the parchment. He stared at Hermione, his face paling noticeably. 

“What do you mean ‘divide’? We’re going to be staying with Gryffindors only, aren’t we?” 

Hermione hesitated. Then she rolled up the scroll and placed it in her bag. “McGonagall didn’t say,” she said vaguely as she buttoned up her bag. “Well! Let’s go have lunch, shall we? I’m starving.” 

Hermione got to her feet and held out her hand to pull up Ron. Harry got up on his own and flung his back over his shoulder. Ron was still frowning, and as they started to walk towards the castle, he fell back into step with Harry. 

“Do you think McGonagall would actually consider splitting us up?” he asked in a low voice so that Hermione couldn’t hear their conversation. 

Harry hoisted his bag more securely onto his shoulder and glanced at Hermione who was walking a few feet ahead of them. 

“I don’t know…” he said. “I mean, anything’s possible these days. I don’t think we can expect things to get back to what they were before the war, can we?” 

Ron seemed to mull this over. Then he shrugged. “No, I guess not. It’s already quite different, isn’t it? I mean, getting here was pretty odd. I almost didn’t believe it when I got the letter, and it said to be ready at Kings Cross by seven in the morning. We always used to arrive at Hogwarts early in the evening, I don’t think anyone’s ever arrived in the morning before.” 

Harry smiled faintly. Ron was right, of course. Everything up until now had been very different. Of course, nothing would ever be the same after the Battle of Hogwarts. It had been more than a year since the end of the war, and Harry was starting to doubt that he would ever see Hogwarts again, when suddenly, a few days before his 19th birthday, he got the letter inviting all surviving seventh year students of 1998 to return to finish their final year. Harry knew that the group of students would be smaller than it was… before everything happened. But he hadn’t expected to feel such a sense of terrible sadness and affection, when he looked around at his remaining school mates during their train ride from Platform 9/11 early this morning. 

The Weasleys had been there to send Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny off. Ginny was one of the younger students who had also been invited back to finish her seventh year. Harry, Ron, Hermione and many other students had missed almost an entire school year due to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The returning eighth year students would have to stay for the whole year and hopefully graduate by the Summer of 2000. 

It wasn’t that Harry hadn’t seen his friends before they’d all reunited in a crowded compartment in the Hogwarts Express. He had been having a busy time keeping track on everyone, making sure no one was left without prober help and care after the war. Harry had been appalled to see how much money and energy the Wizarding community seemed to spend on _him_ ; Harry Potter, Saviour of the Wizarding World, as the media preferred to call him these days. For some reason, they neglected to see that many families were left unemployed and penniless, as many had had to stop working to keep their families safe during the war. 

Harry had thought the past would catch up with him at some point; that the day would come when he would finally have a melt-down and get to mourn everyone he’d lost. However, he had been constantly on the move since he returned with the Weasleys to the Burrow two nights after Voldemort’s death. Together with the Weasley family, Harry had helped coordinate aid to those who needed it, and slowly; gradually, the hollow place inside Harry’s heart had begun to heal. He’d had a purpose – something meaningful. 

First, when the letter arrived, Harry was planning to refuse to return to Hogwarts. There were still families to help; people who needed justice from the Ministry. Harry couldn’t let them down. That was until Percy Weasley sat Harry down, poured him a large serving of fire whisky, and told him matter-of-factly that he would be taking over Harry’s work. 

“I used to be the Mistry’s bloody _pet_ ,” Percy had growled in such a menacing a way, it would have made Fred quite proud. “They didn’t care about me back then. They didn’t care about anything important, really. I’m going to make them eat so much humble pie, I hope they choke on it. Don’t worry, Harry, we won’t stop helping those people – we, I, owe it to them. Fred would never have backed down, and neither will I.”

At this point Percy’s voice had started to tremble, and Harry had respectfully looked away to let Percy have a minute to himself. 

Merlin, they were all still so messed up. Sometimes Harry didn’t know how they did it. Kept going, that was. In spite of everything. 

In the end, Harry had agreed. He _missed_ Hogwarts. He wanted to go back and be a student again. To be normal again. Well, he had never really _been_ normal. But… still. 

***

So, here he was, walking towards the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione like they had done numerous times before. Sometimes it seemed as if nothing had really changed, although everything had changed. 

As they walked through the Great Hall, Harry was aware of people staring at them. He wasn’t surprised, nor did he really care. The only positive thing about it these days was that people were now also staring at Ron and Hermione. The Golden Trio had been almost as popular to the media as The Saviour. Harry could at least be grateful about that. Hermione hated attention just as much as Harry did. Ron, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind. In fact, as they walked along the long tables, Harry was sure he saw Ron winking at a returning seventh-year girl. _Don’t let Hermione catch him doing that_ , he though, smiling to himself. 

They reached the end of the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Seamus, Dean and Neville. 

“Strange being back, huh?” Seamus looked round at them and pulled a tray stacked with sandwiches closer for all of them to reach. “I heard McGonagall’s going to announce our sleeping arrangement just after lunch,” Seamus continued, looking at them expectantly. “Who do you think she’s going to pair us with?” 

Neville grabbed a sandwich and took a huge bite, looking deep in thought. “Definitely not the Slytherins,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “She wouldn’t be that mad.” 

“I think it might be Ravenclaw. But I don’t really mind if it’s Hufflepuff,” Dean pitched in. He turned his eyes to Hermione. “How many will be sleeping together again?” 

“Ten in one room,” Hermione replied through a mouthful of egg salat. “So that means two houses will be matched.” 

“Ten people, eh? How are we supposed to _sleep_?” Seamus said. “I mean, Neville here already snores a lot – what if we get paired up with someone who likes to sound like a grunting giant too?” 

“Hey!” Neville reached out and punched Seamus on the arm. Everyone else was laughing. 

“How many Slytherins do you think will return this year,” Harry asked, glancing towards the Slytherin table which was full of mostly unknown faces. 

Dean shrugged. “I think most of them. They did get off at the hearing, didn’t they?” 

“McGonagall told me they’ll be arriving with an escort just after lunch, so they should be here any minute now,” Hermione said and then continued in a lower voice. “Obviously, Crabbe isn’t. That leaves Goyle, Nott, Zabini and Malfoy.” 

“I can’t believe the Wizengamot just let them go,” Ron said through gritted teeth. “After everything they did, Malfoy’s just going to waltz in here like nothing happened.” 

“And Goyle used Unforgivable curses on younger students,” Neville said, twisting his fork angrily. “That absolute bastard.” 

“So... why do the Slytherins need an escort?” Neville asked, frowning. 

“Well, obviously the ministry’s keeping an eye on them,” Hermione said, her eyebrows raised. “Kingsley’s going to have the escort – or the Auror, I believe - checking in on them every once in a while. I mean, they _did_ fight for Voldemort, although they weren’t charged with anything.” 

Ron stared at Hermione. “Seriously, Hermione. How do you know all these things?” 

Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed a large muffin from the trays of puddings. “Unlike you, Ron, I actually remember to _write_ your brothers. Percy still works at the ministry, you know.” 

“Oh, well. I’ve been very busy,” Ron said through a mouthful of pecan pie. “And Percy writes very long letters, as a matter of fact. I don’t have time for that. Anyway, Harry! That’s great news, isn’t it? That means Malfoy won’t be able to try to do any tricks on us.” He glared hatefully at the Slytherin table. “Serves him right, that little, -” 

“Ron!” 

Hermione shot Ron a disapproving look and Ron swallowed his pecan pie loudly but didn’t continue his rant. 

“I’m not sure Malfoy’s as bad as he’d like us to think he is, Ron,” Harry said, his minds lost in thoughts. 

_Last time I saw Malfoy_ , I’d just saved his life, he thought. _And he didn’t give me away when we were being held hostages at the Manor. I don’t think he actually liked being a Death Eater._

Harry looked dazedly at the others and noticed them all staring at him. 

“What?” he said. 

Ron had just opened his mouth to speak, when the Great Doors opened, and a group of people walked inside. All the chatter subsided, and the hall went into complete silence as the Slytherins made their way to their table, followed by a large wizard whom Harry knew to be from the ministry. 

Malfoy was the first to sit down. His grey eyes scanned the room, and he was wearing a look of defiance, as his eyes met the hostile faces of the rest of the students. Then his eyes landed on Harry, and Harry froze in his chair. A moment seemed to pass by when none of them seemed able to look away. Harry was surprised to find that there was no resentment in Malfoy’s eyes. He was staring at Harry with a blank expression which emitted no feelings or emotions whatsoever. Although, Harry thought he saw something… 

Then Malfoy blinked and looked away and the moment was gone. Harry took a deep gulp of air and turned towards the others. For some reason he felt shaken by seeing Malfoy again. He hadn't thought about that pale, blond boy for months. Seeing him now felt... final in some way. Like everything had come full-circle. “I guess you were right Hermione,” he said. “They all returned.” 

Slowly, the Great Hall started to empty of people except for the eight years. Silence once again fell over the Great Hall as the headmistress walked through the large doors. She went to stand between the Gryffindor and the Slytherin table. When her gaze fell on Harry, Ron and Hermione she gave them a small nod and smiled. 

“Welcome back, eight years,” she spoke in her usual brisk voice. “I’m happy to see so many of you returning to get your exams. I assure you; we have taken great precautions in order to provide for you the best program as possible. On top of your standard seventh-year material, you will find a number of elective subjects, which will help you in your further careers.”

McGonagall now turned to the Slytherins. Harry couldn’t help but notice how his former teacher’s lips seemed tighter, as she looked at them. Zabini, who was sitting next to Malfoy, paled slightly as he looked at the headmistress. On Malfoy’s other side, Pansy Parkinson looked like she was about to flee the scene. Nobody seemed to dare take a single breath. 

Behind them stood the large Auror. He was looking straight into the air with a bored expression on his face, looking as if he wished he could be doing any other job than this one.

“Now, I have been told by the Ministry that Hogwarts is welcoming back everyone who wishes to return this year. I am aware that some of you have had certain… priorities in the past, and that those certain people have been pardoned by officials. I therefore cannot deny you to come back to this school, and I must stress that I do not want to. However, I do expect your utmost loyalty to Hogwarts, your education – and most importantly – your fellow students. If I learn that any one of you show any kind of bad will towards other students, I will make sure you are expelled. Is that clear?” 

All of the Slytherins except Malfoy nodded their heads vigorously. Malfoy only made a small inclination of his head, his eyes not leaving McGonagall. 

McGonagall gave the group another stern look, then she turned her attention back towards the remaining eight-years. 

“Right. Now, as you may have been informed, your sleeping-arrangements will be a bit different this year. I am now going to tell you which houses are going to be sharing accommodations. In dormitory 1. Gryffindor boys: Finnigan, Longbottom, Potter, Thomas, Weasley. Slytherin boys: Goyle, Malfoy, Nott, Zabini…”

There was a collective groan from the Gryffindors as McGonagall continued calling out names for the other dormitories. 

_“I knew it!”_ Ron hissed. “McGonagall just never changes, does she? It’s like she _wants_ to make our final year a living hell!”

“Oh, be quiet Ron,” Hermione whispered impatiently. “McGonagall obviously wants everyone to get a fresh start, the Slytherins included. I guess she believes we need get along, if we’re going to keep up the peace in the Wizarding community. Meeting the Slytherins with hostility isn’t really going to work out our differences, now is it?” 

Ron rolled his eyes. “You’re seriously telling me that we should, what, forget everything that happened the last few years? How can you say that!?” 

“Honestly, Ron, keep your voice down,” Hermione hissed, glancing up at McGonagall. Luckily, the headmistress was still busy announcing the girl’s dormitories and didn’t seem to have heard them. Hermione turned back to look at Ron. 

“Look, I’m not saying I particularly _like_ the idea of sleeping in the same room as Pansy Parkinson. I only meant that I have confidence in Kingsley and McGonagall. They wouldn’t have done this if they weren’t one hundred percent sure nothing bad would come of it. We need to play our part in upholding the peace. Don’t you agree?” 

Ron folded his arms across his chest, his face an image of pure incredulity. However, he didn’t speak. 

Harry, on the other hand, considered Hermione’s words. He thought about the Slytherins and the resentment he had gotten so used to feel towards all of them. Looking at them now huddled together on the bench and looking quite forlorn, he felt his anger slowly evaporate. Hermione was right. It was indeed time to move on. Even if that meant sharing a room with Draco Malfoy. 

“Yeah, whatever. I guess it doesn’t really matter where they sleep, anyway,” Harry shrugged, and leaned back in his chair. 

Next to him, Harry was sure he heard Ron mutter something related to _“this is not my life,”_ but Harry ignored him.

***

As the group made their way towards their dormitories a few minutes later, no one seemed to want to speak. The Gryffindors were leading the way; the Slytherins walking slightly behind them followed by the Auror. They were walking close together, muttering inaudible to each other. As they walked, Ron kept giving Harry odd glances, but Harry didn’t have the energy to start explaining his sudden optimism about the whole situation. 

Finally, they reached a large, wooden door and the boys went through it, leaving the girls whose dormitory was further down the hall. The Auror remained outside, leaning against the wall, twiddling his wand between his fingers. Harry looked around the large room as the rest of the group spilled in behind him. The room was a combined bedroom and living room painted in different shades of blue. Nine large four-poster beds were placed against the wall; four on one side, five on the other. To the left of the room, there were two doors leading to the bathroom and toilets. On the other end of the room, two squashy-looking sofas and three armchairs were placed around a large fireplace which had been lit and was emitting a crackling sound. It really wasn’t bad, Harry thought. Present company of the Slytherins excluded, however. 

As the Slytherins filled the room, they scurried towards the row of beds furthest away. Harry sneaked a glance at Malfoy. The blond was standing with his back to the Gryffindors, rummaging through his trunk which had magically appeared on top of his bed a few seconds ago. 

Harry looked down to see his own trunk placed neatly on his bed, and he started to look for his school books, which he would be needing for tomorrow’s classes. 

Ron had disappeared into the bathroom to inspect it. Neville, Seamus and Dean were chatting quietly, unpacking their things and casting furtive glances towards the Slytherins who were determinedly ignoring the five Gryffindor boys. 

The tension in the bedroom was thick as led. Harry could feel everyone’s hostility and apprehension, as each Gryffindor and Slytherin unpacked their things, determinedly turning their backs to each other. He closed his eyes briefly. Then he opened them and cleared his throat loudly. Everyone in the room immediately stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards him. Ron had reappeared from the bathroom and was now watching Harry expectantly, his eyes flicking from Harry to the Slytherins. 

“Er,” Harry said, unsure of what to do next. “Look. We all know that this is not particularly a dream coming through, having to live together for the next year.” Harry’s eyes fell on Malfoy who seemed to be listening carefully, one eyebrow raised, his arms folded on his chest. 

”However…” Harry continued distractedly. “It is what it is, and I for one, do not intend on having to feel like I’m walking on eggshells around you lot, just because you were fortunate enough to be pardoned by the Wizengemot.”

At these words, Zabini made a growling sound. Malfoy gave the tall, dark-skinned boy a sharp look, and Zabini pressed his lips together in a thin line and didn’t speak.  
Malfoy looked at Harry and gave him a small nod, indicating that Harry should continue.  
“We need to be able to coexists and work together,” Harry said, trying to conceal his surprise in having Malfoy actually cooperating with him. 

“I can promise you now that I personally will do what I can to make this work.” He looked around at Goyle, Nott, Zabini and finally Malfoy. “So, what do you say? Peace?” 

The four Slytherins looked at each other for a few seconds. It seemed to Harry that everyone was waiting for Malfoy to speak. Finally, Malfoy unfolded his arms and look a few lazy steps towards Harry. He was standing right in front of Harry now, his lips curling into a most familiar smirk. Then Malfoy took one last step and extended his hand. 

“Peace,” Malfoy said simply. 

Harry blinked. Then he reached out his own hand and grabbed Malfoy’s, his fingers closing around soft, warm skin. As they shook hands, Malfoy’s eyes never left Harry’s. Time seemed to have come to a still. Then quite abruptly, Malfoy dropped Harry’s hand and walked back towards his trunk without further words. 

Harry stood there, wondering how things had gotten so very strange. Then he went to help Ron with Pigwidgeon, who was hooting angrily from having gotten his small leg caught in a piece of Seamus’ underwear. 

***

“That was really weird, that thing earlier with Malfoy,” Ron whispered somewhere in the darkness close to Harry. 

They were finally lying in bed, having spent the rest of the afternoon going through time tables with the eight-year teachers and planning up-coming projects for extra curriculum. 

Harry hesitated before he answered, making sure that everyone else in the room were breathing steadily in their sleep. Luckily, Harry knew that Malfoy was sleeping in the bed nearest the bathroom, which meant that he wouldn’t hear them whispering, even if he wasn’t yet asleep. 

“What do you mean weird?” 

“I don’t know… there’s just something very strange about Malfoy not being his usual nasty self. Haven’t you noticed? He hasn’t said one horrible thing since we arrived. I just don’t believe it. It has to be an act, don’t you think?” 

Harry shrugged, which obviously, was quite pointless in the dark. “I’m not sure. Anything’s possible when it comes to Malfoy. When I think about what he did to us all those times, I think there’s no way he changed. But then I think about that time in the Astronomy Tower with Dumbledore and the incident at the Manor, and I’m not so sure, Ron.” 

Harry could hear Ron shuffle around on his bed. Then there was a small sigh. “I guess we’ll have to see, then,” Ron spoke through a yawn. “Anyway, are you excited to see Ginny tomorrow?” 

Ginny had been spending most of the train ride with her old classmates and had left the train before Harry could get a chance to talk to her. Harry felt his stomach do a small twinge. He bit his lip, grateful that Ron couldn’t see his face in the darkness. “Yes… of course I am, why wouldn’t I?” 

Ron was silent for a while before he spoke. “Well, you didn’t really see her that much this summer, did you? Are you two all right?” 

“Sure, we are,” Harry said quickly. “It’ll be great to get back to normal, you know. Or back to where we were before… everything.” Harry stared out into the dark. 

Everything had been so easy back then. Those months before Dumbledore died. Those glorious months with Ginny where death and darkness hadn’t been all-consuming. However, things changed. People changed. 

“Oh, good…” Ron was trailing off. There was a moment’s pause, then Ron’s breathing slowed, and a low snore rose from his bed. 

Harry lay awake thinking for a while, happy to be back at Hogwarts, his only true home for seven years. Smiling at the thought of seeing Hagrid and everyone else he knew, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep… 

 

_... He was sitting looking over the Great Lake. Orange light from the setting sun was hitting the surface of the water, creating the illusion of sparks dancing across the gentle waves. Around him, birds were chirping merrily, and a cool but gentle breeze was caressing his face. Closing his eyes against the sun, he reached out his hand and felt his fingers entwine with someone else’s. Ginny, he thought, smiling to himself. He felt the heat radiating from the body next to his. Without looking, he shuffled closer to the other person, inhaling an intoxicating and yet unfamiliar scent, which made Harry yearn to get closer. Harry raised his head and buried his face in the crook of the person’s neck, pressing a kiss against warm, salty skin. An all-consuming happiness was coursing through his body, and Harry wanted… he wanted…_

__

He lifted his face slightly, looking dazedly up and into stormy grey eyes. 

__

Malfoy was smiling down at him, his face warm and relaxed. Then Malfoy leaned forward, his lips inches from Harry’s, his breath tickling Harry’s cheek. 

__

_“Harry…” Malfoy moaned, parting his lips…_

 

Wait… what!?

Harry woke with a start, his heart beating furiously. His pajamas were sticking to his body, which was covered in sweat. 

As he slowly sat up, he ran a shaky hand through his hair and exhaled. 

“What the fuck,” he muttered quietly to himself. _“Malfoy?_ What the fuck was that all about?” 

He sat still for a minute or two, getting his breathing under control. Then he lay back on the sheets and stared into the dark ceiling. He closed his eyes and tried to block out any remembrance of that horrible dream. Just as he was finally about to drift back into sleep, he heard a noise coming from the far end of the room. 

“Fucking, bloody, Potter!” someone groaned in a muffled voice, and there was a sound of someone hitting their pillow hard. 

Malfoy was awake too.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! 
> 
> New idea - new story. Will try to post as often as I can, but I can promise to make it regular. Hope you like this first chapter - more to come :-)
> 
> Please leave a comment about anything or any thought you might have - let me know what you think 😊


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